Kala Gyan: the crafts
36 traditional Indian handicrafts, by state and material.
Warli
Maharashtra · Mud wall · Rice paste · PopularTribal wall paintings of the Warli people in Maharashtra: white rice-paste figures made of circles, triangles and squares on red-brown mud walls.
Madhubani
Bihar · Natural pigment · Paper · PopularRitual wall paintings from the Mithila region of Bihar, packed with geometric patterns, gods, animals, birds and trees, now also painted on paper and cloth.
Bidriware
Karnataka · Zinc-copper alloy · Silver · RareMetal inlay from Bidar: pure silver wire hammered into a blackened zinc-copper alloy, with floral and geometric designs that gleam against the dark surface.
Blue Pottery
Rajasthan · Quartz powder · Glaze · PopularJaipur's glazed pottery, made without clay from quartz powder, glass and fuller's earth and painted in cobalt blue, turquoise and white.
Channapatna Toys
Karnataka · Wood · Lac · PopularLathe-turned wooden toys and dolls from Channapatna near Bengaluru, coated with bright lac in vegetable colours.
Dhokra
Chhattisgarh · Brass · Beeswax · RareLost-wax metal casting by tribal metalsmiths, using a technique known in India for more than 4,000 years to make brass figures of animals, deities and lamps.
Pochampally Ikat
Telangana · Silk · Cotton · PopularHandwoven cloth from Telangana in which the yarns are tied and dyed before weaving, so geometric patterns appear with softly blurred edges.
Kalamkari
Andhra Pradesh · Cotton · Natural dye · PopularHand-painted or block-printed cotton from Andhra Pradesh, drawn with a bamboo pen and coloured with natural dyes, famous for temple narratives and tree-of-life patterns.
Kani Shawl
Jammu & Kashmir · Pashmina yarn · Twill tapestry · RarePatterned Kashmir shawls woven in pashmina with small wooden spools called kanis, one for each colour of weft, in a twill-tapestry technique.
Pashmina
Jammu & Kashmir · Pashm wool · Hand loom · RareThe finest cashmere: the soft undercoat of Changthangi goats from the high plateau of Ladakh, hand-spun and hand-woven in Kashmir into light, warm shawls.
Pattachitra
Odisha · Cloth · Natural colour · PopularCloth paintings from Odisha made with mineral and plant colours, with bold outlines, Jagannath and Krishna stories and decorative borders.
Phulkari
Punjab · Silk floss · Khaddar cotton · PopularFlower work: Punjab's folk embroidery, in which silk floss is darned from the back of coarse cotton cloth to make flowers and geometric patterns.
Gond Art
Madhya Pradesh · Natural colour · Paper · PopularThe painting of the Pardhan Gond community of central India: animals, trees and deities drawn with fine lines, dots and dashes in bright colours.
Bamboo Craft
Goa · Bamboo · Cane · PopularThe woven bamboo work of Goa, known as maniche kaam: baskets, winnowing trays, fans and mats made by the Mahar community from split bamboo.
Jute Craft
West Bengal · Jute fibre · Twine · PopularEveryday and decorative objects made from jute, the golden fibre of Bengal: woven bags and mats, coiled baskets, knotted cord work, lamps, toys and jewellery.
Jutti
Punjab · Leather · Thread · PopularHandmade Punjabi slip-on shoes, flat and flexible, often embroidered in silk, tilla (metallic thread), beads or mirror work.
Pichwai
Rajasthan · Cotton · Mineral colour · Gold · RareLarge devotional cloth paintings from Nathdwara in Rajasthan, hung behind the idol of Shrinathji, showing Krishna with cows, lotuses and gopis in rich mineral colours.
Kalighat Painting
West Bengal · Paper · Watercolour · RareBold-lined watercolour paintings of gods and city life from the Kalighat temple area of Kolkata, made by patua scroll painters in the nineteenth century.
Sawantwadi Lacquerware
Maharashtra · Wood · Lac · Tempera · RareHand-painted lacquered wooden toys and Ganjifa cards from Sawantwadi in the Konkan, with fruits, birds, kitchen sets and bullock carts in bright colours.
Khes
Punjab · Cotton · Handloom · RareThick handwoven cotton cloth of Punjab, woven in checks, stripes and geometric patterns and used as blanket, bedcover and winter wrap.
Kolam & Rangoli
Tamil Nadu · Rice flour · Colour powder · PopularFloor art made at the threshold of the home: kolam, the daily rice-flour line drawing of Tamil Nadu, and rangoli, the colourful festival patterns found across India.
Kondapalli Toys
Andhra Pradesh · Soft wood · Natural paste · RareHand-carved, hand-painted wooden toys of Kondapalli near Vijayawada: village scenes, bullock carts, animals and the ten avatars of Vishnu.
Kutch Embroidery
Gujarat · Cotton · Silk thread · Mirrors · PopularThe colourful hand embroidery of the communities of Kutch in Gujarat, dense with geometric patterns, chain stitch and small sparkling mirrors.
Lippan Kaam
Gujarat · Clay · Mirror · RareMud-and-mirror wall art of Kutch: raised clay patterns set with tiny mirrors that glitter in the light, made by women on the walls of their huts.
Nirmal Art
Telangana · Wood · Gold lacquer · RarePainted wooden toys, furniture and panels from Nirmal in Telangana, with a golden sheen and rich colours, famous for animals, human occupations and scenes from the epics.
Palm Leaf Craft
Andhra Pradesh · Palmyra leaf · Natural dye · PopularEveryday and decorative objects plaited and woven from palmyra palm leaves in Andhra Pradesh, from baskets, mats and fans to hats, boxes and flowers.
Bandhani
Gujarat · Cotton · Silk · Natural dye · PopularTie-dye textiles of Gujarat and Rajasthan, in which thousands of tiny knots are tied into the cloth before dyeing to form patterns of dots.
Banjara Embroidery
Andhra Pradesh · Cotton · Thread · Mirrors · PopularThe patchwork, appliqué and embroidery of Banjara (Lambani) women, decorated with mirrors, beads, shells and coins in bold geometric patterns.
Parandi
Punjab · Silk thread · Cotton thread · RareThe Punjabi paranda: a braided hair ornament of coloured silk or cotton thread, finished with tassels and worn with the plait at weddings, festivals and folk dances.
Block Printing (Ajrakh)
Gujarat · Cotton · Natural dye · Wooden block · PopularHand block printing and resist dyeing on cotton from Kutch in Gujarat, best known as ajrakh: deep indigo and madder red patterns printed on both sides of the cloth.
Tanjore Painting
Tamil Nadu · Wood panel · Gold leaf · Gesso · PopularDevotional panel paintings from Thanjavur: rich colours, raised gesso work and glittering gold leaf, with a deity at the centre under an arch.
Terracotta
Pan-India · Clay · Fire · PopularFired clay crafts found across India, from Bankura's terracotta horses and Molela's relief plaques to everyday pots and diyas made by potters, the kumhars.
Cheriyal Scroll Painting
Telangana · Khadi cloth · Natural colour · RareNarrative cloth scrolls from Cheriyal in Telangana, painted in bold primary colours on a red ground, telling epics and village legends like a film roll.
Coconut Craft
Kerala · Coconut shell · Coconut leaf · PopularCrafts from the coconut palm in Kerala: carved coconut shell, brass-inlaid shell ware, and plaited coconut leaf.
Pembarthi Metal Craft
Telangana · Brass sheet · Silver · RareBrass sheet metalwork from the village of Pembarthi in Telangana, etched and engraved with leaf, flower and mythological motifs into lamps, idols, trays and panels.
Etikoppaka Toys
Andhra Pradesh · Wood · Lac · PopularLathe-turned lacquered wooden toys from the village of Etikoppaka, coloured with natural dyes from seeds, bark, roots and leaves.